Rail-joint.



OFFICE.

ROBERT THATCHER AND VILLIAM A. W'EDDING, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed July 7.1906. Serial No. 325,159.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be ,it known that we, ROBERT THATCHER and WILLIAM A. WEDDING, citizens of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in 4Rail-Joints, of which the following is a speciiication.

The invention relates to an improvement in rail-joints, comprehending specifically a combined rail joint and chair particularly adapted for securing and supporting the meeting ends of railroad-rails.

The main object of the present invention is the production of a combined rail joint and chair designed to fixedly secure and support the meeting ends of railro ad-rails against possibility of displacement, the construction providing for a secure fastening without the use of the ordinary fish-plates and also obviating the usual perforating of the rail-webs.

The invention will be described in the following speci'cation, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan illustrating the application of our improved rail-chair; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same 5 Fig. 3, a section on line 3 3 of Fig. l Fig. 4, a section on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, our improved chair is made in two4 sections, a supportingsection and a lookin -section, each formed integral and arranger? for coperation to secure the meeting ends of the rails in alined position. The supporting-section comprises a baselate l, formed near one edge with a relative y narrow lip 2, designed to receive the locking-section, as hereinafter described. On the opposite edge the base-plate 1 is provided with a side plate 3, spaced from the baselate to conform to the shape of one side of t e rail, being for this purpose projected inwardly from the ed e of the baseplate approximately paralle therewith to rovide a space for snugly receiving the .ange of the rail and extended. vertically to engage the web of the rail when in place, the upper ed e of the plate 3 terminating be- IieathI an in contact with the ball of the rail. Midway of its length the side plate 3 of the sup orting-section is formed with a projectin ead 4, shaped to exactly conform to the ba l of the rail and provided on the edge opposite the plate 3 wlth a depending lip 5, extending in spaced relation with the plate 2.

As the head 4 is designed to be interposed between the meeting ends of the rails proper, the plate 3 is thickened throughout the length of the head to provide an extension 6, conforming to the thickness lof the web of the rail and providing an abutment against. which the ends of the web bear.

The locking-section. of the chair comprises an angle-plate 8, shaped to correspond with one side of the rail and including a plate 9, designed to rest upon the base-flange, and an extension 10, pro'iccting from the edge of the plate 9 and designed to bear against the web of the rails. The free edge of the plate 9 is turned slightly downward an-d curved on its upper surface to conform with the curvature of the lip 2 of the supporting-section, the base-plate l. of the supporting-section being of sufficient width to permit the downturned edge of the late to rest between the lip 2 and the approximate edge of the rail-Hangs.

In assembling the parts the rails are placed in position. on the supporting-section with their Ranges resting beneath the plate 3 and their ends abutting the head 4. The lockingsection is then inserted above the opposite base-flange, the outer edge of the plate 9 of said section resting beneath the 1i 2 of the supporting-section and the free e ge of the extension 1() of the locking-section bearing against the webs of the rails and held against outward movement by the lip 5 of the head 4, it being understood that said lip is so spaced as to snugly receive the upper edge of t e extension IO.

Preferably the relatively horizontal portion of the plate 3, the plate 9 of the lockingsection, and the base-plate l of the supporting-section are formed with spike-openings ll, designed to be alined when the parts are assembled with similar openings in the baseflanges of the rails whereby t0 permit the introduction of spikes for securing the parts to the ties.

ICO

The locking-section, if preferred, may be'vr slightly wedge-shaped longitudinally, with the cooperating portion of the supportingsection similarly shaped, whereby the'connection ma f be tightened b sim l drivin i l Y F Y g the locking-sectioninto wed ge re ation with the supportlng-sectlon.

The combined Joint and chair described provides for ositively locking the rails IIC ing both openings in the webs of the rails. The meeting ends of the rails are securely fastened and supported relative to each other to provide, in effect, a continuous rail, the head 4 of the supporting-section being provided to avoid a joint including the ends of the rails proper, as said head is an integral part of the chair, and therefore necessarily iXed with relation to the chair. Ihis construction avoids the usual pounding incident to the travel of the wheels over the joint formed of the meeting ends of the rails.

It is preferred that the respective sections of the chair be integrally formed in order to provide necessary stability and rigidity, though it is to be understood that, if desired, the respective parts may be separately formed and secured together in any preferred manner.

Havin thus described the invention, what is claime as new isl` A railroad-chair comprisinga support- A, ing-section designed to underlie the baseflanges of the rails, and a locking-section designed to overlie the base-flange of the rail and engage the supporting section, and means formed on the supporting-section for engaging the upper edge of the locking-section.

2. A rail-chair comprising a supportingsection including a base-plate designed to underlie the base-{iange of the rails and formed on one edge with an upwardly-extending lip, a plate projecting from the opposite edge of the base-plate and designed to overlie the base-flange of the rails and engage the webs thereof, a head formed on the supporting-section and conforming in contour and sizeto the rail, a locking-section designed to embrace the opposite side of the rail and engage beneath the lip of the supporting-section, and means formed on the head to engage the upper edge of the locking-section.

3. A rail-chair comprising a supportingsection includin a base-plate designed to underlie the baseanges of the rails and formed on one edge with an upwardly-extendinglip, a plate projecting from the opposite edge of the base-plate and designed to overlie the base-flange of the rails and engage the webs thereof, a head formed on the supportingsection and conforming in contour and size to the rail, a locking-section designed to embrace the opposite side of the rail and engage beneath the lip of the supporting-section, and a lip depending from the head to engage the upper edge of the locking-section.

4, A rail-chair comprising a supportingsection including a baselate designed to underlie the base-anges o the rails and formed. on one edge with an upwardly-extending lip, a plate projecting from the opposite edge of the base-plate and designed to overlie the base-flange of the rails and engage the webs thereof, a head formed on the supportingsection and conforming in contour and size to the rail, a locking-section designed to embrace the opposite side of the rail and engage beneath the lip of the sup orting-section, a lip depending from the hea to engage the upper edge of the locking-section, the supportingsection and locking-section being formed with spike-openings to register with spikeopcnings formed in the base-flanges of the rai s.

In testimony whereof we afliX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT THATCHER. WILLIAM A. WEDDING. Witnesses:

' FRANK H. KINNEY, IDA M. SHUMARD. 

